Wimmera health services test dozens of people for coronavirus

Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital screened 46 people on Monday, its first day of testing.

Those tested included hospital staff, police and paramedics.

Chief executive Andrew Saunders encouraged anyone in the community to come along for testing in the next three days.

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West Wimmera Health Service also started testing on Monday

Wimmera Health Care Group tested about 90 people during the week. Numbers peaked on Saturday, when staff ran 32 tests.

The group also tested asymptomatic team members on Monday, with about 20 through in the first hour.

The Horsham COVID-19 assessment clinic, in Read Street, is open daily from 11am to 5pm.

Stawell Regional Health has increased its testing, and aims to test up to 500 people from across the community, including health and aged care workers, supermarket and retail staff, those with chronic disease, construction workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.

The service opened a respiratory centre at the end of March and is open on weekdays. The service encouraged anyone with even mild symptoms to call 5358 8630 to organise a test.

The Stawell Health Respiratory Centre is open weekdays from 8.30am to 5pm.

About 13,000 people were tested across Victoria on Sunday.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was the biggest single day of testing throughout the nation during the pandemic.

It comes one week after the state government committed to testing 100,000 people for COVID-19, ahead of a review of the State of Emergency on May 11.

The number of COVID-19 cases rose by 22 in Victoria from Sunday to Monday.

Nineteen of these cases were linked to an outbreak at a Melbourne meatworks.

Mr Andrews said thanked the public and health workers for the massive testing effort.

"13,000 Victorians presented to get tested. That is an amazing result, and I just want to say how proud and how pleased I am, and how grateful I am, to every single Victorian who came forward," he said.

"These 100,000 tests we're looking to do by the end of the week, are absolutely critical to the decision we make next."

About 56,000 people have been tested since the blitz began.

The Wimmera's coronavirus cases have remained steady since April 8, when a third case was confirmed in Horsham Rural City.

All three Horsham patients have now recovered.

Yarriambiack was the first Wimmera municipality to have a confirmed case - its only case - on March 22.

Ararat has also had just one confirmed case, on March 31. The next day, on April 1, West Wimmera confirmed its only known case.

The Northern Grampians has had three COVID-19 cases to date.

The government has encouraged anyone with symptoms associated with coronavirus to get a test, no matter how mild.

These symptoms include a fever, breathing difficulties, breathlessness, cough, sore throat, fatigue and tiredness.

Mr Andrews said with people continuing to stay home, the state would have options that were envy of the rest of the world.

But he said the situation was fragile, and Victorians still needed to "stay the course", even if they were frustrated at staying home.

Mr Andrews said people could call the coronavirus hotline on 1800 6745 398 for more information.

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